


Warden Meloin Lavellan

by Soturo_Ayami



Series: Dragon Age Chronicles [1]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Canon Typical Violence, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Letters to a Dead Man, Other, canon character death
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-16
Updated: 2016-01-23
Packaged: 2018-04-09 16:46:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4356782
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Soturo_Ayami/pseuds/Soturo_Ayami
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>If he could move on, if he could find the strength, they could all survive. </p>
<p>He would make sure of it.<br/>-------<br/>The life and times of Meloin Lavellan</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Scattered Memories

_Tamlen_ ,

 

I miss you. I do not know how else I can express this. I have been learning to write in the trade tongue. It is difficult to put things into words this way, the words sometimes do not look right. In this I can not go to Alister. He would then know of my weakness.

Tamlen, I am scared without you here. You were my rock you know. _Ma Vhenan_. My heart. You are these several months gone and yet the loss of you holds sway over my own heart. The weight on my shoulders is heavier than I could have ever imagined. When I awoke without you here, I thought that your death would be the hardest thing for me to bare, however even now it is a little personal pain to hide among many. I know the death of the _shemlan_ wouldn’t have bothered you too much but there has been so much. Death, destruction without reason, _shem_ fighting over nothing and everything, ignoring the real threat.

Sometimes I believe that you have missed the worst of it dying as you did. Dying. It would have been better if we had never gone into that cave. Never should have stepped foot on those stones without the keeper’s guidance. It is too late for maybes I suppose.

I move on now. In a few days time I will have enough quiet to write to you again. In these letters you can never receive.

 

_Lathbora viran, ma vhenan._

_Dareth Shiral._

 

\----------------------------------------------------------------

 

_Vhenan,_

_Ir abelas, vhenan, ir souveri._

 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

 

Meloin resents Duncan for taking him from his clan. In his head he knows the Grey Warden isn’t responsible for the predicament he’s in but the look on the keeper’s face tells him he has little choice. Even now he feels the cloying evil that grows within him. His keeper is a very accomplished healer but this ‘taint’, as he calls it, still sits there. Knows he will not be able to will the taint from him any more than he can wish Tamlen to his side.

There isn't much left to do other than push forward but he he wonders what will become of him. 

Death. There will be death. He isn't a stranger to death though he never imagined they'd become so intimate so soon. 

"Are you holding up well?" Duncan asks. In his hand is a bowl of thin soup which he passes to Meloin with a worried glance, who given his disposition through out their trip, stares up at him coldly. 

"Why thank you for asking,  _shem_. I am doing just grand I tell you." The Warden sighs before seating himself adjacent to him. 

"I know this is not the most ideal situation. You lost a dear friend in those tunnels. It is regrettable that we could not save him from such a fate. No one deserves it." Meloin snorts, Duncan continues, "However we must make the most of it as we can. There is much more going on we need worry about."

" _Right, yes_. I see, I will simply move on, yes? Sorry, Tamlen, vhenan~ The shemlen are having a problem so  _I simple must_ move on. Yes. Of course. I did not think of that before." Meloin's voice is a hiss of venom. 

"You are allowed to grieve. This however, is wholly unnecessary." Duncan says.

" _Yes, I understand._  Do not worry, I shall simply move on. Much more to worry about." His gaze narrows on Duncan as he hops up. "I. Lost. My. Husband,  _shem._ Do not tell me what I may grieve about, and how! I am here. Now leave me BE!" With a final shout Meloin storms away, leaving a very bewildered Duncan near the fire. 

\----------------- 


	2. Dog, his name...

Morrigan: You are going to name it Fen’harel? You must be joking.

Meloin: I am not. Its either a kick in the pants and a curse upon my head for naming a human bred dog after one of our greatest monsters or a blessing. Either way, I get to laugh first.

Alister: Why do I feel like I’m missing something?

Morrigan: Would it really be a surprise if you were?

Alister: Yes~ Lets poke fun at the templar for not knowing anything about the dalish. We study them extensively, you know.

Meloin: Think of Fen’harel like our boogeyman. He tricked the Creators into locking themselves away in their respective realms and now he supposedly runs around tricking and consuming the dead and those dumb enough to wander too far from their clans. However to ward against the evil spirits we place Fen’harel statues outside our camps because of said spirit eating.  So you see, either way, win-win for me.

Alister: That’s...Actually, you know what, nevermind. knowing our luck it’ll be a blessing in disguise.

Meloin:  You'd eat evil spirits to protect us, wouldn't you boy?  
Fen’harel: (Barks engagingly)

Meloin: See! Nothing to worry about. 

Morrigan: I'll abandon the lot of you if you've jinxed us. 

Meloin: (stage whispers to Fen'harel) You can eat her first. 

Alister: (snorts) 

 

 


	3. Temple of Sacred Aches

 

The Guardian turns to me, his face passive but his words directing the knife. “You left him in the ruins. Left him to his fate. Tell me, pilgrim, did you fail Tamlen?”

I can only breathe, “I could have pulled him away from the mirror. I could have stopped him at any point.” I could have, I really could have but I’m far past my regret of that day. I know  

The guardian nods in understanding, “Do you always blame yourself for another’s action? Knowing you couldn’t have stopped him. Knowing you would have ended up in his place or worse- with him?”

“I… I would have done it anyway.” Truth

“That would be reckless, where might your friends now be should you have made that sacrifice? Would they have been better off without you to guide them. Do you regret--?

No one interrupts even though this has gone too far. They’ll have their turns however, I was done with this line of questioning.  “I will hear no more of this spirit. I am here now, there is no going back.”

“Very well.”

\-----------------

 

“T- _Tamlen._ ” Impossible. This place is impossible. There is a specter before me, something unreal, something not there. He stares at me with those familiar eyes, haunting me, taunting me. The whine that escapes me when he speaks is a broken rasp.

“It’s so cold here, _vhenan_. Do you feel it? The chill eats at my bones.” He says and the there is an echo of pain my chest. Twisting, squeezing, breaking, emptiness.  There is a snap then an arm on my shoulder as I lunge forward in anger.

“What trickery is this?!”

That thing with Tamlen’s face smiles indulgently “You think: 'this can not be Tamlen. Tamlen is gone. He is only footsteps in the dust.' I am Tamlen, yet I am not. I am part of the Gauntlet and part of you.”

 _“Ma Vhenan! Ir Abelas, emma lath._ _Emma u, vhenan, eras ma ghilan--- Era banal’ha!”_

“ _Atisha, lethalli_ _n_ . _Mala suledin nadas._ _”_

“ _Nae!”_

Tamlen laughs. It is so like his. So much like his that I can almost believe he is here. “Do you always have to take the blame for everything we get up to?”

“Do not try to make me feel better, Tamlen, you know this one was my fault. I would have stopped you.”

The thing wearing Tamlen’s face shakes his head with a look he often gave me. Exasperation and fondness.  

“Something lost can never be found, some mistakes can not be unmade. Those that survive must go on living. You have suffered enough, thinking that you could have done something. It is time to leave that behind. Take this. It is nothing compared to the crafts of our fathers, but it should serve you well.  I wish you well lethallan...We will not meet again.” He slips a small necklace into my hands but I don’t see it. He is fading from me and the hand on my shoulder won’t let go so that I can stop him.

“ _Tamlen MANA_!” And he is gone again. Just  _gone_ just like that. 

Seconds, minutes, hours could have gone by while I tried to gather my senses. Zevran’s arms engulf my shoulders and Wynne is making small gestures as if to soothe and I just. I sigh, letting Zevran pull me to my feet.

 “We should move on.”


End file.
